Vayechi: staying in Egypt

 
Vayechi: staying in Egypt

 

 

Vayechi describes the last days of Jacob.  In the end, Jacob moves  to the Miami of his day. He lives in Egypt for the last 17 years of his life. We know that only the first 5 of these years were years of world famine.  The reason for the following 12 years in Egypt is not clearly accounted for. Perhaps Jacob was sick and old and could not travel.

 

Jacob ends his life transferring the title to the land of Canaan to his offspring. But the offspring also stay in Egypt. Once they have seen the bright lights of the world's greatest civilization it is hard for them to return and fight for the more desolate, promised land.

 

Rashi on 50:14 points out that  at Jacobs funeral his sons were the last to leave Egypt and after the funeral they will the first to return. This gives the impression that they loved Egypt. They did not want to leave and he could not wait to return.

 

Ahhhhh, Miami a micahiah!

 

last year: 1/2009:  http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AXfHEywWA3ieZDRobXc5N18zMDJoY3F3M2JkOA&hl=en

 

12/2007:  http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0AXfHEywWA3ieZDRobXc5N18xNzJjcTY5aHhjcA&hl=en